Famish and Fatigue

Weeks 13 and 14 were a busy time in our lives. Jeff's family was visiting from Portland to attend his graduation ceremony, and friends were visiting from Seattle to help us celebrate. To top it all off, I planned a graduation party at my dad's house and invited about 50 people...AGH! We all know what parties, company, and house guests mean: crazy preparation.  These two weeks were spent cooking, cleaning, and napping between chores. Although there was a lot to be done, I only wanted to lay on the couch and watch TV. It took a lot of effort to peal my lazy, expanding behind off the couch and complete the long list of necessary chores.

 I'm so proud of my little graduate!

For the party, I found a great recipe for springtime beverages on a local wedding blog. For anyone who loves lavender as much as I do, this is a great refreshment for any upcoming parties you have planned. I saved some lavender from my garden last year, and was happy I finally had a use for it. I imagine it would taste amazing with some vodka mixed in too...for non-pregnant parties.

Sparkling Lavender Lemon Tea:

Find the wedding/party sized recipe on this website.

This beverage is perfect for Sunday brunch, or just for having in the fridge during the hot summer months.

Ingredients

• 4 lemons
• 1 TBS dried or fresh lavender buds, crushed
• 1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
• 1 cup steeped lemon balm tea leaves, or I just used lemon flavored green tea which can be found at most grocery stores
• 5-6 cups sparkling water (I used San Pellegrino)

1. Brew the tea in 1 cup water. Set aside.
2. Zest the lemons then juice.
3. In a medium sauce pan heat lemon juice, zest, crushed lavender buds, and agave nectar/honey over low heat. The house will smell AMAZING while you're doing this, so turn on the stove and do some laundry (or watch TV) while the mixture fills your home with a delicious scent.
4. Once the mixture starts to simmer, remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. In a large pitcher combine lemon and lavender mixture with the sparkling water and tea. I used a strainer to remove some of the lavender buds. There are a lot of people in my family who have issues with texture, so doing this was more family and kid friendly.
6. Serve over ice and enjoy!

Pregnancy

It was right around this time when I received a lecture from a friend about the frustrations I was having with the changes in my body. It went something along these lines: "You are pregnant, so you are going to gain weight and things are going to change. It's normal, so you shouldn't complain or worry about it." Though she was right, I never really had any issues with my weight gain, and the changes I have faced will all be worth it when I have my little bundle of joy. My real issue: there was an alien growing in my stomach who was sucking the life and soul out of me, and to top it off I could not get any of my clothes to fit comfortably.

Being an active person who enjoys roofing strangers' houses, running marathons, hiking, and staying up late with friends, I found myself stripped of all activities that made me feel happy and fulfilled. Instead, I was sitting at home watching How I Met Your Mother and Anne of Green Gables - not because I'm a big TV watcher, but because my body wouldn't let me do anything else.

To top it off, every morning I'd wake up to get ready for work only to find that yet another article of clothing no longer fit. A hard part about the early transitions in pregnancy is that you can't go buy new clothes every time you expand another inch. Not only will you end up spending a lot of money, but you will only be able to wear the garment for a week or two. Although I've been lucky enough to avoid spending a lot on transition clothes, I have already spent close to $500.00 on new undergarments, wider shoes, cotton dresses, stretchy skirts, longer shirts, maternity tank tops, and BeBands. Of course I was going to be upset and stressed about not having any clothes that fit. Also, what woman doesn't freak when she suddenly gains 12 pounds?

Breakdown

How do I feel?
Please see above.

Weight gain?
12 lbs!

Food cravings?
HOT DOGS! Also, I'm a vegetarian. In addition cheese, berries, and pizza. And I'm still wanting to eat all the time.

Food aversions?
Garlic, onions, anything spicy.

Sleep?
What's with the crazy dreams?! I have some good material for novels now - lost love, pirates taking revenge - and I'm still somewhat uncertain if events I remember come from recent dreams or real life.

Gender?
Only time will tell.

Mood?
Here come the hormones...

Movement?
Nope.

What have I learned?
Here are some must-haves for early pregnancy when your body is going through that awkward transition stage:

 1. Cotton dresses and skirts - you can find cute dresses at Target or Nordstrom Rack for great prices. They will grow with your body, and can even hide your little bump if it's still a secret. My general rule with these is that if it's more than $30.00 it's not worth it. Places like REI are also great for finding stretchy, comfy skirts and dresses. They will be a little more pricey, but the material tends to be a higher quality than your general cotton dress.
2. BeBand - when I started gaining weight I knew something like this had to be invented for women like me. It's essentially a giant rubber band that can be used to push down on your unbuttoned jeans to make them look buttoned, or can be worn over your entire tummy to smooth you out. And it comes in white, nude, and black, so if it starts popping out from under your shirt, it just looks like an undershirt. The BeBand can be found at Target.
3. Hair ties - chances are you already have many of these in your possession. Hair ties in all shapes and sizes can be used to keep your pants from falling off when you can no longer button them. Use the small sizes for early pregnancy, then gradually move to the bigger ones.
4. Leggings - when your belly is cramping and all you want to wear is sweatpants, leggings are an answer to your prayers. I like to use the lululemon pants as leggings because they can be used for prenatal yoga classes, brisk walks, lounging around, and can also function as leggings under a long shirt or dress. The lululemon Will Pant has a waistband that can fold down for use during non-pregnant times, or worn up to smooth out your belly, serving as a BeBand of sorts.
5. Maternity tank tops - I bought four of these in early pregnancy, and have already got my money's worth. You can wear them as undershirts, alone as a cute top, or layer them for a fun look. I got the ribbed tank from Gap.com because they don't look like a maternity top at first glance, but will expand with your growing belly.
6. Wide shoes - I will be spending a large portion of my pregnancy in hot weather. It 's good to invest in a pair of sandals that have adjustable straps and plenty of room for swollen feet to expand. I bought these Steve Madden sandals from Nordstrom in the early spring, and get complements every time I wear them.